Incheon National University Department of Economics students Son Yeo-kyung, Kang Dong, and Yoon Jung-min pose for a commemorative photo after winning the Top Excellence Award at the 2026 Incheon Youth Policy Competition on October 20.

Proposes “Bupyeong Basecamp,” a Citizen-Participatory Market Validation Model for Young Entrepreneurs

“Camp Marketer,” a team of undergraduate students from the Department of Economics at Incheon National University (INU), led by President Injae Lee, won the Top Excellence Award at the 2026 Incheon Youth Policy Competition. The team, consisting of Kang Dong (class of 2021), Son Yeo-kyung (class of 2023), and Yoon Jung-min (class of 2023), received high praise for proposing a citizen-participatory B2C market validation program that connects local young entrepreneurs with consumers.

The competition was organized to encourage young people to identify challenges facing their communities and propose effective policy solutions. Its goal was to position young people not merely as beneficiaries of public policies but as active participants in policymaking, while transforming creative ideas into practical policy initiatives.

Camp Marketer focused on the difficulties young entrepreneurs face during the market validation stage, when they need to assess actual consumer responses to their products and services. Even after progressing through various stages of entrepreneurship, including securing business funding, improving technologies and products, and receiving investment and demonstration support, many young entrepreneurs still struggle to validate market demand. To address this challenge, the team proposed a citizen-participatory B2C market validation program.

The proposed program, named “Bupyeong Basecamp,” aims to create a new cultural space where youth entrepreneurship and citizen participation come together. It focuses on providing young entrepreneurs with opportunities to showcase their products and services to local residents and refine their business ideas based on direct consumer feedback.

According to a survey conducted by Camp Marketer, which allowed multiple responses, young people in Incheon identified the financial burden of market validation (76.5%) and a lack of opportunities to test products with actual target customers (64.7%) as major challenges in starting a business. Notably, 94.1% of respondents identified citizen-participatory validation programs as the most needed form of support.

In response, Camp Marketer proposed supplementing existing support systems, such as citizen-participatory living labs, with a dedicated consumer market validation stage. The team designed an eight-month program that would provide 10 startup teams with repeated opportunities to test their products and services in the market. After gathering feedback from an initial round of citizen evaluations, participating entrepreneurs would improve their offerings and undergo a second round of validation, enabling them to refine their business ideas according to actual consumer demand.

The team proposed Bupyeong Camp Market as the primary location for Basecamp, considering its accessibility within approximately a 10-minute walk from Bupyeong Station and the availability of public spaces that could be used for the program. Alternative locations, including the 1883 Open Port Square and Bupyeong Culture Street, were also suggested.

This award is particularly meaningful because INU students closely examined the practical challenges facing young entrepreneurs in the region and developed a concrete, feasible policy model based on citizen participation. Rather than relying on one-time support, the proposal incorporates actual consumer feedback into product and service improvements, followed by additional validation. It was recognized as a policy alternative with the potential to enhance the sustainability of local youth entrepreneurship.

The Head of the Department of Economics stated, “It is especially meaningful that our students took an interest in the practical difficulties faced by young people in the region and proposed a policy solution that enables citizens and young entrepreneurs to grow together.” The department head added, “We will continue to support students in actively addressing community challenges by applying the knowledge and skills they acquire through their academic studies.”